Balloting-box.



PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906.

W. W. McCOLLUM. BALLOTING BOX.

APPLICATION mum 001.24, 1905.

. ZZZ/am WVILLIAM W. MOCOLLUM, OF BRIERFIELD, ALABAMA.

BALLOTING-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Jan. 23, 1906.

Application filed October 24, 1905. Serial No. 284.191.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM W. MoCoL- LUM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Brierfield, in the county of Bibb and State ofAlabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in BallotingBoxes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to balloting-boxes designed especially for theuse of secretorganizations, and has for its objects to produce acomparatively simple inexpensive device whereby the balloting may bereadily and secretly conducted, one in which the balloting members orballs will after being deposited in the box be concealed from view untilthe entire ballot has been cast, and one wherein the cast ballots may beconveniently inspected within the box and thereafter discharged from thelatter. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter with a simple and efficient form of holder to receive a candleor lamp to facilitate selection of the balloting members and one wherebylight will be afforded for inspection of the ballot after the same hasbeen cast.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises the novelfeatures of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafterdescribed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectionfrom front to rear centrally through a balloting-box embodying theinvention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view of the pivoted leaf or partition.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a box or receptacle preferablycomposed of sheet metal and of circular form, said box, which isequipped with a rearwardly-proj ecting handle 2, being provided in itsfront wall with a discharge-opening 3 and in its rear wall with avertical opening or slot 4, disposed beneath the handle 2, Whilepivotally sustained within the box by means of a hori zontal pintle oraxle 4 is'a circular disk-like cut-off member or valve 5 in the form ofa leaf or partition provided with a rearwardlyprojecting finger-piece 6,extended outward through the opening 4 beneath the handle 2 and restingat a point diametrically opposite the finger-piece upon the normallyexpanded spring 7 to serve to maintain the valve in normalrearwardly-inclined position, with its front edge disposed in a planeabove the opening 3 for cutting 0H communication through the latter.

Hinged, as at 8, to the box 1 is a concaved lid or cover 9, providedwith an inlet-opening lO'and having an upstanding projection orthumb-piece 11 disposed over the hinge 8 and in a plane above and inline with. the handle 2, there being attached to the cover 9 a hood orshield 12, preferably of the form shown and adapted to project above theinlet-opening 10, while provided on the box 1 and at its lower end is aforwardly-extending apron 13, having an upstanding marginal flange 14and constituting a receptacle for the balloting members or balls whendischarged from the box, there being secured 011 the apron andpreferably at one side thereof a tubular holder 15, designed to receivea candle or other illuminating element 16.

In practice the balloting members or balls are initially placed in thereceptacle 13, and after proper inspection of the interior of the boxwith the lid 9 raised the lid is closed, and the voters each select aball and deposit it through the opening 10 into the box, within which itwill be received upon the valve or leaf 5. In the act of depositing aball in the box the hand of the voter is introduced beneath the hood 12,and thus concealed from view, whereby observation of the ballot selectedand cast by an individual voter is prevented and the voting renderedsecret, it being understood, of course, that the cover 9 remains closeduntil all of the ballots have been cast. After the full number ofballots have been deposited in the box they may be duly inspected by theproper ofiicers by raising the lid 9 and thereafter discharged from thebox into the receptacle 13 through the o ening 3 by engaging thefinger-piece 6 and ii ting the rear end of the valve 5 until its forwardend moves to a position beneath the opening 3, under which conditionsthe valve will stand in a downwardly and forwardly inclined positionwith the spring 7 compressed, it being apparent that as soon as thefingerpiece 6 is released the valve will be automatically returned tonormal position under the action of the spring.

It is to be especially noted that the cover 9 may be readily raised byplacing the thumb of the hand which grasps the handle 2 upon theprojection 11 and the valve 5 simultaneously manipulated by theindex-finger of the hand which holds the handle.

IIQ

The 'candle or lamp 16 aiiords suflicient light for properly selectingthe ballots during the voting operation and throws a suflicient lightthrough the opening 10 into the interior of the box to enable the voterafter casting his ballot to inspect the same and be assured that theballot is correct.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In adevice of the class described, a box provided with a discharge-opening,a movable cover for the box having an inlet-opening, a hood arranged onthe cover .over said opening, a valve ivoted in the box and adapted tonormal y lie in a rearwardly-inclined position and to close thedischargeopening, and means for moving the valve to open thedischarge-opening and permit automatic discharge of the contents of thebox.

2. In a device of the class described, a box having a discharge-opening,a movable cover for the box provided with an inlet-opening, a hoodarranged over the inlet-opening, a valve pivoted in the box to swing ina vertical plane and provided with a finger-piece projecting to theoutside of the box, and a spring disposed beneath the forward portion ofthe valve and adapted to maintain the same normally in arearwardly-inclined position with its front edge disposed above thedischargeopening.

3. In a device of the class described, a balloting-box having a coverand provided with an inlet and a discharge opening, a hood arranged overthe inlet-opening, a valve pivoted in the box and adapted to receiveballoting members introduced into the latter, said valve having afinger-piece projecting outside of the box, a spring acting on the valveto maintain the same normally in rearwardly-inclined position with itsedge at one side of its pivotal axis disposed in a plane above thedischarge-opening, and a receptacle designed to receive the ballotingmembers when discharged from the box.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. MGCOLLUM.

